Gone are the days when cattle were packed into large stock trucks with loading chutes, left to potentially injure each other on long rides from bumps in the road or stress. Now, there are better, safer, more effective ways to do things. With the rise in new technology, cattle transportation is easier on both ranchers and animals. We’ll tell you about the differences in today’s blog and some advice for transporting them safely. Visit the Dark Hammock Legacy Ranch blog page for more rancher tips.
Bumper Pull Trailer
Cattle transportation is now accomplished with stock trailers. There are two kinds: bumper pull trailers and gooseneck trailers. Bumper pull trailers are easy to hitch to the vehicle you’re using to pull the trailer and weigh less, and can carry less, than a gooseneck trailer. These are a good fit for smaller animals like small horses, goats and sheep.
Gooseneck Trailer
These trailers require a heavy-duty pickup truck and a suitable truck bed hitch, attached with a large arm and a ball hitch in the bed of the truck. This hitch provides more stability than what’s used with the bumper pull trailer, and makes the gooseneck suitable for pulling bigger animals, like cattle, and more weight. The weight limit is determined by the composition of the trailer and the number of axles.
Things to Remember
When hauling cattle, no matter what kind or brand of trailer you have, there are some safety points you should consider. It’s always safer to go with a trailer that’s heavy duty over a trailer that’s rated for minimum strength. Gooseneck trailers provide a smaller sway than bumper pull trailers. Always follow the manufacturer guidelines when loading cattle, especially in regards to weight limits. Remember, it’s not worth the price of losing an animal to overload the truck.
At Dark Hammock Legacy Ranch, we value safety for our staff and our animals. That’s why we feel confident presenting you with our grass-fed beef product, because we can take pride in how it was produced and processed. To purchase our beef, visit our website.
